[joesbucks]

The first amendment was against government censorship, not private places. You going to the town square or publishing something against them. If you’re concerned about censorship, talk to the thousands who have been zotted from here over the years. Some deservedly. But zotted none the less.

[Enterprise]

"The first amendment was against government censorship, not private places."

The GOVERNMENT urged a PRIVATE enterprise to CENSOR people. That my friend is a GOVERNMENT action, and it denies people their First Amendment Right to FREEDOM OF SPEECH! I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the GOVERNMENT cannot deny the citizens their right to freedom of speech, nor can the GOVERNMENT compel someone to censor speech on its behalf! It is called by its true name - GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP!

[Boogieman]

“The first amendment was against government censorship, not private places.”

The courts have ruled many times that when the government acts in concert with a private party to suppress speech, it is no different than the government itself suppressing speech. This is a clear 1st amendment violation.

[Sirius Lee]

The first amendment was against government censorship, not private places

That’s right. Hitler didn’t murder Jews, I. G. Far enough, a private company did, so it’s all good. That Hitler told them to is immaterial.

[jurroppi1]

The fact that government agents were requesting a private company restrict specific speech on a public forum under any rubric, however intellectually dishonest or fictional, is apparently lost on you.

This was an thinly veiled end run around 1st amendment protection.

[HKMk23]

You’re barking up the wrong tree with your comparison of apples and oranges.

This isn’t about what private platforms are permitted to do internally, it’s about the federal government coordinating with a private platform to solicit that platform silencing people to protect partisan persons and interests, and specifically to influence public perception that ultimately affected a presidential election. This coordination with the federal government is clearly beyond the scope of what private platforms are allowed to do as a matter of private governance. This federal government interference stands firmly within the realm of the First Amendment as nakedly unconstitutional.